CJR magazine article lauds Journal Sentinel's Craig Gilbert

Craig Gilbert, the Journal Sentinel’s Washington Bureau chief, is “the most political science-friendly reporter in America,” writes the Columbia Journalism Review, dubbing him an outlier among reporters in his zeal to incorporate political science in daily political coverage.

Gilbert has used data and studies from political scientists to explain aspects of politics to a depth that other reporters haven’t, such as what the causes of polarization in Wisconsin are, and using models to quantify that polarization. Political science also enriches his articles about election-related policy changes, neglected in other mainstream coverage, the article says.

The blog post points to an article, among others, about same-day election registration, where Gilbert cited a UW-Madison study that found Republicans benefited from the practice, typically thought to help Democrats.

Gilbert, 54, has worked for the Milwaukee Journal and Journal Sentinel since 1986, and served as Washington Bureau chief since 1997. He began writing the Wisconsin Voter blog in the fall of 2010 after studying political science, statistics and survey methodology at the University of Michigan on a Knight-Wallace journalism fellowship.